Field of the Invention
Various aspects of the present invention relate to a crash pad for a vehicle having an integrated airbag door and housing and a method of manufacturing the same, and more particularly, to a crash pad for a vehicle having an integrated airbag door and housing and a method of manufacturing the same, in which an airbag housing, which accommodates an airbag therein, and an airbag door, which opens or closes the airbag housing, are integrally molded with the crash pad, and accordingly enhanced airbag deployment performance and improved external appearance and formability may be accomplished.
Description of Related Art
Generally, an airbag for a vehicle is a device that instantaneously inflates in the direction of a passenger when a car collision occurs, in order to protect the passenger from impact. The airbag is installed, for example, inside a steering wheel or inside a crash pad in front of a passenger's seat.
An airbag installed in front of a passenger's seat is commonly called a passenger-side airbag (PAB). As illustrated in FIG. 1, a conventional PAB module includes an inflator 1, which generates gas when a car collision occurs, an airbag cushion 2, which is inflated with gas supplied from the inflator 1, an airbag housing 4, which is installed below a crash pad core 3 in front of a passenger's seat and accommodates the airbag cushion 2 therein, and a door-integrated chute 5, which is coupled to the crash pad core 3 and to the airbag housing 4.
The door-integrated chute 5 includes an airbag door 6 and a chute 7, which is integrally or monolithically formed on the lower surface of the airbag door 6. The airbag door 6 has a holder 6a for coupling with the crash pad core 3, and the chute 7 has a hook holder 7a, on which a hook 4a of the airbag housing 4 is caught.
In addition, skin foam 8 is attached to the outer surfaces of the airbag door 6 and the crash pad core 3. The skin foam 8 includes a skin layer 8a and a foamed layer 8b on the inner surface of the skin layer 8a. 
Through the combination of the airbag door 6, the crash pad core 3, and the skin foam 8, a crash pad is configured as the interior material of a vehicle, which is installed over the entire region in front side of a driver's seat and a passenger's seat.
When the foamed layer 8b is molded, however, the foam solution may leak from gaps at the connection between the crash pad core 3 and the airbag door 6 due to a foaming pressure, which may cause molding defects, and consequently, a poor external appearance.
In addition, upon deployment of the airbag cushion 2, the airbag cushion 2 may be pushed rearward by rearward pushing force, which is generated when the airbag cushion 2 comes into contact with the airbag door 6, thereby being torn by the hook holder 7a of the chute 7, which causes serious deterioration in the deployment performance of the airbag cushion 2.
The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.